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So how much stock does Brian Price have left over in his warehouse (kitchen? closet?) Ummmmm none. ITG has developed a business model that works, and at the end of the day, no matter how much he might love his job, it's still a business. The limited print-runs of the nothing but head shots pretty much ensure the demand, which means sell-outs, which fuels the next run. And considering he's limited to head shots, a lot of the cards are stunning. There's no Forever Rivals boxes left in any of the stores here, I didn't see any Superlative III a couple nights ago. Sooner or later it dries up online, and then the singles get harder to find as well. But there's still a bunch of Certified and Pinnacle and Series I & II at the LCS, and there's THREE YEARS worth of OPC at Toys-R-Us!!

There's good and bad in each of the three companies. I loooooooves me the Ken Dryden, I have EVERYTHING (I think).........except for a small bunch of ITG 1/1's and 1/9's. But there's no actual picture of him on the cards, so why would I even bother??? The cards just look plain stupid to me and I don't like 'em. Or them Panini Mega-Patches. Or the chimpanzees they hired at Upper Deck to place the auto-stickers diagonally on the cards. Whine whine moan moan. Wish for something better in one hand and poop in the other, see which fills up first :D

It's nice that you wish to defend ITG but when you make posts like this that are exactly "opposite" to the truth, it doesn't show well on you.

As I posted earlier, for all intensive purposes, ITG's market is the province of Ontario (see other posts about people not being able to even get a box of product should they want it). As far as product that has supposedly "sold-out", ITG's definition of "selling-out" a product and other company's definition, greatly varies.

(example) When The Cup sells-thru, you can get replacement wax a week or two later but it will usually cost you a few hundred extra for that same case. Today, products like Broad Street Boys, Captain C etc. (which supposedly sold-out) can not only be found but can be purchased for the same price, as when it was released. Another one of the biggest problems that prevents so many people from giving an ITG product so much as a look - the history of "two-tier" pricing.

Older high-end product may no longer be "stacked in the ITG warehouse" but more often then not (and to the detriment of the buyers), that is because ITG has sold the product for "slash-rates" of what people had originally paid for it. Don't believe me? - Check prices: Superlative Franchise when it was released and what it sells for today-----less then half of the original wholesale cost! This product didn't "sell-out" but in-fact, didn't sell at all. Then all sorts of "things" started happening and suddenly, some people could purchase it for one price, which was a fraction of what others had paid. I know several people (who used to spend huge dollars on ITG product), who have never and will never touch an ITG product again, after that fiascal.

If you go into your local wholesaler or card store and can't find so much as a box of an ITG product that you want, more often then not, it's because (a) they never brought any in to begin with or (b) they brought-in 1-2 boxes and sold it.

I'm not here to bash ITG, just state facts - which you can check for yourself with any wholesaler or even on ebay.

At the end of the day, people more often then not buy what they like but in some cases, if they don't even have the option to purchase a product because they don't have anyone willing to carry/sell-it, they settle.

Originally Posted by 87sluggo

So how much stock does Brian Price have left over in his warehouse (kitchen? closet?) Ummmmm none. ITG has developed a business model that works, and at the end of the day, no matter how much he might love his job, it's still a business. The limited print-runs of the nothing but head shots pretty much ensure the demand, which means sell-outs, which fuels the next run. And considering he's limited to head shots, a lot of the cards are stunning. There's no Forever Rivals boxes left in any of the stores here, I didn't see any Superlative III a couple nights ago. Sooner or later it dries up online, and then the singles get harder to find as well. But there's still a bunch of Certified and Pinnacle and Series I & II at the LCS, and there's THREE YEARS worth of OPC at Toys-R-Us!!

There's good and bad in each of the three companies. I loooooooves me the Ken Dryden, I have EVERYTHING (I think).........except for a small bunch of ITG 1/1's and 1/9's. But there's no actual picture of him on the cards, so why would I even bother??? The cards just look plain stupid to me and I don't like 'em. Or them Panini Mega-Patches. Or the chimpanzees they hired at Upper Deck to place the auto-stickers diagonally on the cards. Whine whine moan moan. Wish for something better in one hand and poop in the other, see which fills up first :D

It's nice that you wish to defend ITG but when you make posts like this that are exactly "opposite" to the truth, it doesn't show well on you.

As I posted earlier, for all intensive purposes, ITG's market is the province of Ontario (see other posts about people not being able to even get a box of product should they want it). As far as product that has supposedly "sold-out", ITG's definition of "selling-out" a product and other company's definition, greatly varies.

(example) When The Cup sells-thru, you can get replacement wax a week or two later but it will usually cost you a few hundred extra for that same case. Today, products like Broad Street Boys, Captain C etc. (which supposedly sold-out) can not only be found but can be purchased for the same price, as when it was released. Another one of the biggest problems that prevents so many people from giving an ITG product so much as a look - the history of "two-tier" pricing.

Older high-end product may no longer be "stacked in the ITG warehouse" but more often then not (and to the detriment of the buyers), that is because ITG has sold the product for "slash-rates" of what people had originally paid for it. Don't believe me? - Check prices: Superlative Franchise when it was released and what it sells for today-----less then half of the original wholesale cost! This product didn't "sell-out" but in-fact, didn't sell at all. Then all sorts of "things" started happening and suddenly, some people could purchase it for one price, which was a fraction of what others had paid. I know several people (who used to spend huge dollars on ITG product), who have never and will never touch an ITG product again, after that fiascal.

If you go into your local wholesaler or card store and can't find so much as a box of an ITG product that you want, more often then not, it's because (a) they never brought any in to begin with or (b) they brought-in 1-2 boxes and sold it.

I'm not here to bash ITG, just state facts - which you can check for yourself with any wholesaler or even on ebay.

At the end of the day, people more often then not buy what they like but in some cases, if they don't even have the option to purchase a product because they don't have anyone willing to carry/sell-it, they settle.

I live in Western Canada and haven't had a problem finding any product from ITG (aside from sold out ones like Franchises Canadian, International Ice, etc from years past). I'm no expert on Brian Price's business model, and I'm by no means the kind of guy who would buy a case, but the stuff is available in small quantities, should the brick and mortar shops want to get it. Most ITG stuff is pretty limited, so it wouldn't surprise me if they sell out very quickly, even if that selling is only to distributors.

Superlative Franchise was the Leafs only product, right? I think we all know that it didn't sell, that's an exception, not the norm with ITG products.

It's nice that you wish to defend ITG but when you make posts like this that are exactly "opposite" to the truth, it doesn't show well on you.

As I posted earlier, for all intensive purposes, ITG's market is the province of Ontario (see other posts about people not being able to even get a box of product should they want it). As far as product that has supposedly "sold-out", ITG's definition of "selling-out" a product and other company's definition, greatly varies.

(example) When The Cup sells-thru, you can get replacement wax a week or two later but it will usually cost you a few hundred extra for that same case. Today, products like Broad Street Boys, Captain C etc. (which supposedly sold-out) can not only be found but can be purchased for the same price, as when it was released. Another one of the biggest problems that prevents so many people from giving an ITG product so much as a look - the history of "two-tier" pricing.

Older high-end product may no longer be "stacked in the ITG warehouse" but more often then not (and to the detriment of the buyers), that is because ITG has sold the product for "slash-rates" of what people had originally paid for it. Don't believe me? - Check prices: Superlative Franchise when it was released and what it sells for today-----less then half of the original wholesale cost! This product didn't "sell-out" but in-fact, didn't sell at all. Then all sorts of "things" started happening and suddenly, some people could purchase it for one price, which was a fraction of what others had paid. I know several people (who used to spend huge dollars on ITG product), who have never and will never touch an ITG product again, after that fiascal.

If you go into your local wholesaler or card store and can't find so much as a box of an ITG product that you want, more often then not, it's because (a) they never brought any in to begin with or (b) they brought-in 1-2 boxes and sold it.

I'm not here to bash ITG, just state facts - which you can check for yourself with any wholesaler or even on ebay.

At the end of the day, people more often then not buy what they like but in some cases, if they don't even have the option to purchase a product because they don't have anyone willing to carry/sell-it, they settle.

You're absolutely right, I don't know what I'm talking about, I have no access to wholesalers or distributors, all I know is what I see or don't see at the LCS or the monthly shows and on eBay, where there's 2 boxes of Captain C available but I can get SP Authentic by the case if I want. All I have is Dr Price's word when he states that one of his products has sold out, which I can only assume means he's been paid. What the wholesaler does with it after that is solely in their control no?

I don't know anything about Superlative Franchises, I'm not a Leafs fan. Or Broad St. Boys, I'm not a Flyers fan. And Enforcers goes super- cheap now. I DO know that the card shop I bought my case of Forever Rivals from sold the other case they'd ordered in less than two weeks, which is pretty good considering there's only two teams in the thing. And that it isn't at any of the other shops I've been to, including one I know ordered and received one case. Maybe you're right, maybe no one else ordered it, I have no idea.

In any case, I don't think what I originally said was the "opposite" of the truth, that's a little harsh. I was just trying to point out that ITG has refined its product to a target demographic to try to ensure that the demand outweighs the supply, which in most cases I believe they do.

You're absolutely right, I don't know what I'm talking about, I have no access to wholesalers or distributors, all I know is what I see or don't see at the LCS or the monthly shows and on eBay, where there's 2 boxes of Captain C available but I can get SP Authentic by the case if I want. All I have is Dr Price's word when he states that one of his products has sold out, which I can only assume means he's been paid. What the wholesaler does with it after that is solely in their control no?

I don't know anything about Superlative Franchises, I'm not a Leafs fan. Or Broad St. Boys, I'm not a Flyers fan. And Enforcers goes super- cheap now. I DO know that the card shop I bought my case of Forever Rivals from sold the other case they'd ordered in less than two weeks, which is pretty good considering there's only two teams in the thing. And that it isn't at any of the other shops I've been to, including one I know ordered and received one case. Maybe you're right, maybe no one else ordered it, I have no idea.

In any case, I don't think what I originally said was the "opposite" of the truth, that's a little harsh. I was just trying to point out that ITG has refined its product to a target demographic to try to ensure that the demand outweighs the supply, which in most cases I believe they do.

Fair enough - didn't mean to "call you out" but more-so, to correct a few of your points (poor use of words on my part). The one point that you and several other people have made in this thread, seems to back-up what several people have claimed for years and that is - (a) there's a real problem obtaining ITG product if you live anywhere outside of Ontario (unless you order it through the web) and (b) when stores/dealers/collectors west of Ontario actually get their hands on decent amounts of ITG product, """surprise""" - it actually sells fairly quickly and pretty well.

I know that more then a few of the acolytes on this page won't believe this but I've personally conveyed this message directly to Mr. Price myself. Basically, if you're happy to primarily just sell to people from Ontario - keep doing what you're doing. If you want to market your product elsewhere - then do something about it, before people "change the channel" once and for all.

I don't know about past releases but I believe that Superlative 3 has sold really well... So far 9 of 16 Sedin 1/1's have surfaced on just ebay/scf/hi in the first week of release (or 8 of 11 asides from the nameplate - and 7 are on their way to me... so far). It is possible even more have been pulled that have not been made available online, so barring any crazy collation issues, I'd say a good percentage of Superlative has been busted, and wouldn't be surprised if it is tough to find unopened at this point.

1,500 books of Superlative 3 are all. I wonder how many have actually sold. I'd assume most. ITG can call a product a sell-out when they sell out of all the boxes to the distributors. They've been paid the maximum amount they would have expected to receive.

The local LCS I went to today in Vancouver had to buy Forever Rivals at a $15 markup from what he originally got it for. I think that means there is a demand for ITG products. Also they are available out here but harder to get because of the overall limited run.

Also ITG's main markets are in Ontario and Quebec. Then the rest of Canada with a market in the major hockey cities in the USA.

I have heard of the lack of distribution of our products in Western Canada and spoke to our distributors about it.

If anyone wants to PM with suggestions about how we can better distribute to Western Canada, I am all ears. The collector base in Western Canada is a great one and I want to be responsive to their needs.

My suggestion is to ship a bigger load on initial release to them. Why are the distributors marking up the product by $15 to the stores now for Forever Rivals? It doesn't make sense except that they can make a bigger profit and the hobby stores make less per box. They have to charge that markup to the customer which means instead of $115 for Forever Rivals it is $130.

Also the special programs for the Toronto shows are annoying for people on the West Coast that don't get any specials for buying ITG products.

I have heard of the lack of distribution of our products in Western Canada and spoke to our distributors about it.

If anyone wants to PM with suggestions about how we can better distribute to Western Canada, I am all ears. The collector base in Western Canada is a great one and I want to be responsive to their needs.

Willing to listen.

Brian Price

To further go of MatsSundin's point, I don't know if it'd be possible, but Vancouver does have a pretty fair-sized show in October and maybe doing a ITG redemption like thing there would help. Being back on the west coast, it sucked not being able to get the redemptions. Also, the LCS I went to got a steady diet of ITG in and out of the door if I'm not mistaken.

Main wants: Schneider Cup RPA, OEL 1/1s and highends
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